Doppelgänger
by Swiss Army Knife
Summary: Ever since he met Iruka's weirdly independent doppelgängers, Kakashi has been curious. Are they defective, or is this an unknown side effect of the technique? There's only one way to find out…
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: A little context. This "side effect" of the _Tajuu Kage Bunshin_ technique is based on other stories I've written about Iruka's clones, including "Strangely Together, Uniquely Apart". The general idea is that the clones show a great deal of self-agency but are also lacking in inhibition, showing a less socially restrained version of one's inner person.

 **Doppelgänger**

by Swiss

* * *

" _The language of friendship is not words but meanings."_

–Henry David Thoreau

* * *

Kakashi was on his way back from the memorial stone when he spotted a familiar back making its way through the crowd, dark ponytail bobbing like a flag. This person was carrying a large paper bag filled with groceries, and Kakashi felt his stomach give a sudden, discontented gurgle to remind him it was nearly lunchtime.

"Two birds, one stone," he murmured, and set off to intercept Iruka with a bounce in his step.

He approached from behind in a stealthy but casual slouch and was pleased when his pleasant, "Good morning, Sensei!" almost caused his target to drop his purchases. Kakashi snapped up a tomato before it hit the ground and tucked it tidily back into the bag. "A bit jumpy today, aren't we?"

It was exactly the kind of remark that usually lead to biting reproof about his jerkish behavior, and he was already prepared with an argument about how shinobi were _supposed_ to sneak, but for some reason the diatribe never manifested. He squinted into Iruka's face and realized his mistake. For while at a casual glance the illusion was perfect, the brown eyes were just a shade too expressive, the small muscles a hair too animated, and the startled response altogether too open. Even Iruka had more restraint then that.

"Oh, Ichi," Kakashi said, lips twisting into a smile which fortunately remained hidden beneath his mask. "Is Iruka making his clones run errands now? That seems a bit beneath you, don't you think?"

The clone, which was in actuality a _Tajuu Kage Bunshin_ doppelgänger, responded as expected. Giving Kakashi a shove, it pushed past haughtily and continued on its way. Kakashi followed, whistling.

' _Cease following_ ,' Iruka's double signed when he persisted, using the combat signs all shinobi used in the field. As far Kakashi knew, this was the only way it could speak beyond moody silences and the occasional huff, which gave Kakashi a certain advantage.

"I'm hungry," he complained, hanging back just enough so that he wasn't treading on the clone _'s_ heels. "Feed me today?"

Ichi studiously ignored him, refusing to even look in his direction.

Kakashi picked up his pace. "Come on, now. It's no use pretending to be mad just because I caught you off guard. What's a good-natured prank between friends?"

The clone snorted, repeating the words 'good-natured' with obvious derision. Iruka was the only person Kakashi knew who could be sarcastic with sign language. Was it done with the fingers alone, or was there some kind of corresponding body language?

The clone seized his moment of inattention to leap up a level so that it could travel via window sills and laundry lines. As an attempt to avoid him it was a failure, since Kakashi merely followed with his hands shoved casually in his pockets. He kept up his pursuit all the way to Iruka's apartment, by which time the doppelgänger had worked itself into an impressive furor. With its brows shoved down like a thunder cloud, it disengaged the door locks and traps.

"Don't be so cold," Kakashi protested. "You aren't really going to leave me out on the doorstep, are you?"

His answer was a door slamming shut in his face.

Kakashi considered. "Well, as long as you don't mind me _dying from hunger_ ," he said, raising his voice so it could be heard from inside.

Before he could even contemplate invading through a window, the door abruptly swung open and the clone stuck its head out, wearing an expression that was equal parts defiance and guilt. It shoved something cold and cylindrical into Kakashi's hand, and then the door closed just as vehemently as before. Kakashi stared down at his hand. It was a can of tuna.

He shook his head. It was just like Iruka to worry about him starving to death in the most absurd way possible.

* * *

In an empty practice field, Kakashi stood eavesdropping on a breeze that was negotiating with the trees and pondered what he was about to do. The _Tajuu Kage Bunshin_ _no jutsu_ was technically forbidden, after all, though he had always assumed it was because of safety concerns. Each clone you created shared an equal portion of chakra with the original; create too many, and you could go out like a candle. Naruto had opened that can of worms without consequence, of course, but in Iruka's case…

Kakashi still remembered his fascination the first time he saw Iruka's clones, fidgeting and scowling outside a little fishing village called Shi-Tane on the coast of Fire Country. Iruka had used them, in an odd twist from the usual ninja methodology, to _increase_ his visibility. That hadn't been the strange part, however. The strange part was that Iruka's clones were far more than doll-like forms that obeyed commands. They were capable of self-agency.

They were also capable of crankiness, revenge, and willful obstinacy. _'And loyalty,'_ Kakashi thought, remembering the day Iruka's primary clone – a being Iruka had unimaginatively dubbed 'Ichi' – put itself between him an a throwing knife.

But why were they like that? Kakashi's best theory was that they were defective, the product of an incorrectly parsed jutsu. Or was it was it something about the _Tajuu Kage Bunshin_ itself that made them that way? Kakashi didn't have an answer, and it was driving him crazy.

Which was how he found himself here, preparing to summon his own forbidden clone. With meticulous precision he made the signs, and when the yellow smoke dissipated he stood face to face with an identical white-haired shinobi who shared his every scar and crease of skin, down to the last freckle. Ordinarily, this was when he would give instructions, but not this time. This time he wanted to see what the clone would do on its own.

The wind blew, drawing along a wayward butterfly. The sun inched westward. The shadows of the trees moved. Finally, Kakashi broke down. "Well, aren't you going to do anything?"

The doppelgänger was slouching, wearing an expression that could only be described as fatal boredom. It stared toward the distant horizon, blinking its one visible eye.

Annoyed, Kakashi prodded the clone in the stomach. "Seriously, do something."

The clone obediently scratched behind its ear before settling back into a negligent kind of parade rest. It barely even breathed, it was so uninteresting. Kakashi frowned. Still, he wasn't willing to give up just yet. Maybe the clone just needed more stimulation. After all, there wasn't much to do around here but nap and spar.

Well, he had missed lunchtime.

"Come," he commanded, and lead the way into the village proper.

* * *

Author's Note: Dedicated to **Neocolai** , who has recently been reviewing my stories in the loveliest way possible, inspiring me to pick up a few unfinished pieces. She seems partial to Ichi, so it seemed only right to make this story a thank you to her. As always, the very best reviews are when you point out a line that stuck out to you. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!


	2. Chapter 2

**Doppelgänger** **(2/4)**

* * *

If people thought it was unusual to see _two_ white-haired copy-nin meandering along the streets of Konoha, nobody made any comment about it. Not that the clone did much worthy of commentary. It mimicked his posture, following like a proper shadow, and mostly did nothing to prove that it was anything other than a puff of smoke, chakra, and vague inclination.

It _could_ talk, however. Kakashi had sent it on a mission to order him take-out, and it had reported back just fine. The whole thing was building up to a real disappointment. It was starting to look like Ichi was a one-of-a-kind fluke. In fact, Kakashi was about to give up and dismiss the idea entirely, when suddenly his clone perked up. Its eye lit with interest, and it straightened, shoulders going back and out.

Kakashi looked in the same direction, straining to see over the mid-afternoon crowd. "What is it?"

At first, he thought it was Ichi again, out running more errands. Then he caught sight of the paint-splattered flack jacket, which had a small partial handprint stamped onto one corner. It was too strange and specific a detail to grace a clone, which was confirmed when Iruka stopped to greet a shopkeeper, asking how his wife was.

That was the real Umino Iruka.

"Sensei," Kakashi called, waving the teacher over. Spotting him, Iruka trotted across the busy street wearing a satchel full of mashed-looking papers, each as liberally smeared with red as he was.

"Blood splatter analysis," he explained when Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "They're just five, so it got a little out of hand."

Kakashi picked at the front of Iruka's jacket. He could smell the stuff from here, and frankly he was disappointed. "Did you make this with syrup?"

Iruka gave a puff of air, sending an escaped strand of hair away from his eyes. He really did look a mess; even his cheeks were freckled. "They're too young for actual violent trauma."

Sometimes Kakashi felt Iruka fundamentally misunderstood the shinobi way. "Says the man who includes blood splatter in the academy curriculum."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "What are _you_ doing? It looks –" he paused to consider, gazing curiously at the doppelgänger of the village's most famous shinobi. Finally, he made up his mind. "–bizarre, even by your standards."

"It's an experiment," Kakashi admitted. "I was curious to see if it was some kind of dysfunction that makes your _Kage Bunshin_ clones so different."

Iruka made a face when Kakashi mentioned his 'dysfunction _'_ , but a thoughtful frown replaced it as the clone stepped nearer, scrutinizing him from an uncomfortably close distance. Leaning back slightly, Iruka grinned. "Ah. Hello there."

To Kakashi's surprise, the clone's eye curled so that laugh lines spread from its edges. "Yo."

It was the first time it had done anything of its own volition, and Kakashi didn't know what to make of it. He scratched his head as Iruka tried to gain a few more centimeters of personal space, without success _._ "Well, it's certainly friendlier than you," Iruka commented as the clone leaned against his shoulder, forcing Iruka to take some of its weight. "Pushy, too. Though that shouldn't surprise me."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He didn't appreciate the jab, but he was too perplexed to be annoyed. Meanwhile, the doppelgänger was wearing an expression that was hard to describe. The dark eye scrunched, and it regarded Iruka with warm amusement. Then, in one abrupt movement, it yanked down its mask and grinned with a mouth full of very visible teeth.

Kakashi was so shocked that his hair stood on end. Grabbing the doppelgänger, he shoved the fabric back into place and barked _, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"_

Iruka was staring, his mouth hanging open. "Huh," he said intelligently.

"Stop acting like you saw something exciting," Kakashi snapped. He was flustered, his heart still hammering in his chest. Iruka had seen him without the mask before, but he still didn't like the naked feeling of such sudden exposure. Without speaking, he gestured toward a nearby side road.

"I don't know if this is what you were expecting," Iruka said once they were safely out of the public eye, "but that was different."

Kakashi gave his doppelgänger – who was now leaning on _him_ – a look of deep consternation. "It wasn't acting like this before. It's barely twitched an eyelid since I summoned it."

"Until I showed up," Iruka clarified. He gave a polite cough that might have been a laugh. "I see. Maybe you just bored it."

Kakashi felt his nose wrinkle in annoyance, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was intrigued. He had an idea. "Why don't you summon Ichi," he suggested. "We can see how they respond."

Iruka hesitated. "I don't know. There's a certain, ah –"

He didn't say 'vulnerability', but Kakashi understood. Yet his curiosity was even stronger than his caution. He watched Iruka scratch his cheek and knew he felt the same. Finally, reluctantly, Iruka folded his fingers together.

Kakashi watched with a keen eye while Iruka performed the jutsu, but there weren't any mistakes. They had been as crisp and exact as his own. Just like Iruka, really. Soon, they were joined by a forth party. This new replica was a familiar brown portrait, as like Iruka as it was possible to be. The only thing it was lacking was a red handprint on its jacket.

It blinked as it came into existence, already scanning its surroundings. As always, Ichi was happy to see Iruka and offered a wide smile. It even seemed pleased to see Kakashi, because it began forming the sign for 'comrade'. Then suddenly it stopped, a puzzled expression overwhelming its warm welcome.

For there were _two_ Kakashi, just as there were two Iruka.

"Ichi," Iruka said, "This is Kakashi's _Kage Bunshin_ clone. We're trying to figure out what makes you different from regular clones, and we thought summoning you might help."

Ichi seemed uncertain, eyeing the second copy-nin with reserve. Kakashi's doppelgänger, on the other hand, was definitely interested. It's whole body screamed alertness, like a hound catching a scent. Stepping up to Ichi, it took in the uncertain, bristling doppelgänger. Then, very deliberately, it extending a curled finger and flicked Ichi's forehead. Enraged, Ichi made a fist and looked about five seconds from wielding it with extreme prejudice.

Attempting to assert control before things got out of hand, Kakashi grabbed his clone by the shoulder. "Enough," he commanded, but for some reason the same doppelgänger who had barely moved all morning suddenly developed a mind of it's own. Kakashi felt a sting, and then the nerves of his hand went numb. Dumfounded, he stared at his leaden fingers. Had that shadow just immobilized him?

No longer retrained, Kakashi's clone went straight for Ichi, who tried to escape behind Iruka. The surprised school teacher could only stand his ground while the two jostled him. Then everyone got the shock of their lives when the white-haired clone suddenly laughed, breaking into a flat out sprint. Practically hissing with outrage, Ichi dodged and took off down the road. There was a confused commotion, a loud crash as a stack of boxes and baskets collided and fell into the road, angry fussing that had no words, and that unaccountable laughter.

Then they were gone.

The two original shinobi watched them disappear, eyebrows crawling up their forehead. "Well, that just happened," said Iruka.

"Shut up," said Kakashi, already lifting his forehead protector and trying to zero in on where the two clones had gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Doppelgänger (3/4)**

* * *

Catching the escaped doppelgängers turned out to be a study in frustration. Apparitions or no, they still had the full shinobi repertoire at their disposal, and had they not been creating a god-awful commotion, they might have been untraceable. As it was, witnesses were only too easy to find.

"So you did see Kakashi and I come by here?" Iruka asked two of his students, who had been playing just off the main road when they'd had their sighting.

One of the youngsters, a scrappy boy around nine or ten-years-old, nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah! You flashed us the sign for ' _enemy in pursuit'_ , so we thought you were testing us. I threw out a tripwire, and Shouya used a fire jutsu, but he evaded us. Sorry, Sensei."

Iruka patted the child on the head. "Don't worry. I'm proud of you both for recognizing the signal so that you could come to an ally's defense."

Both children beamed at his praise, but Kakashi was less thrilled. Their feral clones were rampaging through the village in full view of everyone. It hardly seemed like the time for nurturing. "Teaching, now?" he asked pointedly.

Iruka frowned, and the boys narrowed mistrustful eyes. They had made a terrible commotion when he came up alongside Iruka, who – to be fair – did look as though he was covered in blood. Kakashi saw their small, bunched up fists and thought about the ninja wire and fire jutsu. Clearly they didn't think of _him_ as an ally.

"We're splitting up," Kakashi decided abruptly, and before Iruka could protest he folded his hands together and disappeared. The afternoon sun beat down on the absent spot where he once stood, leaving Iruka to heave a beleaguered sigh.

* * *

Kakashi crouched on his haunches and fingered the dirt between his sandals with real disappointment. It had taken a few hours, but he'd finally found a reliable trail. Unfortunately, it had now disappeared. As a last resort, he drew blood and called up his contract. Pakkun appeared in a displacement of smoke, but he sat down on his haunches when he saw they were still in the village. "This is going to be stupid, isn't it?"

Kakashi didn't bother denying it. "I need you to find me."

Pakkun looked him up and down. "Woof," he muttered. "Mission accomplished. Can I go home now?"

"I'm serious. I created a _Kage Bunshin_ clone, and now it's tearing around the village chasing after Ichi, and I can't find them."

Somehow the little pug managed to convey both pity and disgust without budging a wrinkle. He shook his jowls in a slow, deliberate movement. "Right. Let's just get this over with." He sniffed bracingly, pacing slowly along the lost track, until finally he stopped. A delicate, spongy paw stretched out. "That way, toward the outskirts of town. Just don't expect me to fetch for you."

Kakashi glared. "Why are you always as unhelpful as possible?"

"Why do you always summon me to clean up your messes?" Pakkun answered, and then he uttered the following sage soliloquy: "Humans."

Pakkun's directions took Kakashi as far as the eastern training fields before going cold again, but fortunately that was where that he met Genma. "You saw us?"

The tokubetsu jounin scratched the back of his neck. "Sure, you and Iruka-sensei came out of the woods just as I was leaving. Frankly, it was kind of weird. At first I thought you were sparring, but then it seemed like you were trying to give him a hug. That's when I started wondering if that natto I had was fermenting for too long."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, not sure if he wanted to pursue any part of this conversation. To avoid making a decision, he cleared his throat.

Genma took back up his thread. "That's when Iruka started strangling you, and everything cleared up again. Why are you asking about this anyway? You were there."

Kakashi's shoulder twitched upward, hoping to convey nonchalance. "Ah. Well, actually they were doppelgängers."

An eyebrow raised, full of skepticism. "I don't think so. You had him in a pretty tight grip, and there wasn't any smoke."

"No, you don't understa – Hey! I can hug someone without causing a fatality!"

The tokubetsu jounin looked dubious, but only shrugged. "What's going on anyway? After that business with the Kusanin, I thought you were friends."

Kakashi did consider them friends, despite his usual policy of avoiding attachments. On the occasion Genma was referring to, he and Naruto had even left the village in order to bring Iruka home, knowing full well that they might be declared missing-nin. Yet even after all this time, he still struggled to understand Iruka. Nor did he know how to feel about the fact that his doppelgänger's first independent act had been active harassment of the man. What exactly was that supposed to mean?

A pulsing headache started behind his temple, and Kakashi said, "You saw us fighting."

Genma lifted his shoulder dismissively. "I know real fighting when I see it, and today didn't have near enough blood shed to be serious, especially for Iruka. Actually, Raidou and I used to be like that. We argued all the time."

"Really?" Kakashi couldn't remember a time when the two hadn't worked in collaboration. As a team, they had quite a formidable reputation. It was hard to imagine them not getting along.

Teeth working around his senbon, Genma expounded, "Well, he was so damned laid-back all the time. It rubbed me the wrong way."

Always one to snatch up bits of intelligence whenever it was on offer, and in this case, genuinely curious, Kakashi asked, "What changed?"

Another shrug. "Dunno. You forget that stuff after a while."

Kakashi didn't know, or at least he hadn't until recently. He thought back to the first time he met Iruka, during that strained meeting over the chuunin exam. Back then, the animosity between them had been unambiguous. Heck, there had been animosity all through their first mission as partners, and the mission after that, and the one after that. The shift was so gradual he'd hardly noticed until it was well in progress. Maybe it was still shifting.

Genma clapped him on the shoulder in a comradely way. "Don't screw it up," he suggested. "It sure beats being alone."

* * *

On the other side of town, Iruka was speaking to the owner of Ichiracu Ramen, who had come out of his shop when he saw Iruka passing by. It seemed that he'd seen both clones pass some time ago.

"You looked upset," said Teuchi with concern, "so I told Anko-san about it. She was visiting the shop next door."

Iruka was momentarily alarmed. He couldn't imagine trying to explain this ridiculous situation to Anko. "What did she say?"

Teuchi looked perplexed. "She seemed worried at first, until I explained who I saw. Then she just shrugged and said trying to escape was a normal reaction to being friends with Hatake-san."

Iruka narrowly stopped himself from snorting. That sounded just like Anko. Glancing over the shopkeeper's shoulders to the familiar ramen stand, Iruka made a decision. "Teuchi-san, you better get me four bowls of ramen. Two eggplant, two regular."

The poor man clasped his hands together. "Are you sure, Iruka-sensei?"

Oh, he was sure alright. It was time to stop running.

* * *

Author's Note: That odd service interruption means that there weren't many reviews for the previous chapter, so I'm especially interested in your feedback this time. Please let me know what stood out to you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Doppelgänger (4/4)**

* * *

Kakashi and Iruka finally caught up to one another at the front door of Kakashi's apartment. The copy-nin raised an eyebrow at the steaming bowls of ramen, but today had been too strange to bother with inane questions like 'how did you know to come here' or 'why did you bring food'? The answers weren't likely to clear anything up, so the effort would be wasted.

Once inside, they both toed off their sandals and stepped up onto the wooden entryway. There were lights on further inside, and they could both hear movement. Kakashi considered arming himself, but what was the point of attacking home intruders when one of them was yourself?

"Ojama shimasu," Iruka said politely as they stepped into the main room, and that was where they finally caught back up with their _Tajuu Kage Bunshin_ clones.

The two were sitting together on the sagging couch. However, there was none of the extreme hostility form earlier in their posture. In fact, they seemed quite calm. Kakashi's doppelganger waved lazily. "Yo."

"Where have you been?" Kakashi demanded. "We've been all over the village."

Iruka zeroed in on Ichi. "Seriously, Ichi. The last I saw, you were running away from him."

Ichi scrunched down, wearing a chagrined expression. Its hand hesitated in the air for a long moment before signing, _'Caught me.'_

"I see," Iruka said with clear skepticism. "And how exactly did that happen?"

Kakashi's clone answered by rattling a brightly colored box, which Ichi seized eagerly. It pulled out a long, thin biscuit and gnawed on the chocolate end.

"Really?" Iruka demanded, but Ichi just shrugged, fishing another piece of pocky out of the box as he did so.

It was almost funny. Kakashi said, "If I'd known it was that easy to get into your good graces, Sensei, I'd have started plying you with confections a lot earlier."

"Oh, shut up," Iruka said and headed toward the kitchen. "I'm the one who's always providing food. Do you at least have any decent tea?"

"Tonight seems like a night for alcohol," Kakashi said, and his double raised his fist in solidarity. Kakashi scowled. "None for you. It'll double the amount of alcohol, and we'll end up drunk when we get rid of you."

The clone's dark eye made a slow, sarcastic circuit. It seemed to be saying, 'Try and stop us,' or maybe, 'Isn't that the point?'

With a sigh, Kakashi resigned himself to tea.

The clones ate heartily, then abandoned their hosts to explore the house. Ichi snooped in corners and closets without discretion while 'Kakashi' followed at its heels. Probably just to be obnoxious, it picked up a Icha Icha novel and licked its lips. Ichi rolled its eyes.

Kakashi watched them, chopsticks poised in his hand. "I just don't get it."

Iruka snorted. "Don't you?" But before Kakashi could make some kind of answering remark, he propped his chin on his hand and said, "I think they've run through our entire acquaintance in one day. Although it's sad that apparently your only method for inviting someone to have dinner is to chase them down and kidnap them."

"I've been over to your place for dinner," Kakashi retorted.

"You've broken in for dinner, sure."

"Semantics," Kakashi said, but it wasn't, and they both knew it. Shinobi guarded their personal space like those frightening old stories about demons who could only enter when invited were true. Few people were permitted in their private spaces, and now that Kakashi thought about it, he realized that this _was_ the first time Iruka had been here. An uncomfortable weight settled into his stomach. How had he overlooked that?

Iruka was still gazing toward the hallway. A piece of fabric was lying on the floor. "You've lost your mask again."

Kakashi shrugged. "What's the point?" If his clone was so set on being an exhibitionist, at least they were behind closed doors.

"So, are you satisfied with your experiment?" Iruka wondered. "I thought it was just me, but it seems obvious now that Ichi isn't unique. Your clone is just as – as –" He searched for a word to describe it.

"Insane? Willful? Insolent?"

"I was going to say 'transparent'."

Ah. Well, maybe that was the right word, because it was becoming clearer and clearer that the _Kage Bunshin_ clones did reveal traits that their original usually kept hidden, either because they lacked the discipline or the inclination to keep those things concealed. It was like looking into a mirror that could see beneath the skin. It was raw. It was fascinating.

For a shinobi, it was incredibly dangerous.

"Why have we never heard of anything like this?" he wondered. "Forbidden or not, the _Tajuu Kage Bunshin_ isn't extinct. Someone should have noted such a significant defect."

And it was a defect. Regular clones could be counted on to do as they were told with no emotional entanglements. The independence and – for lack of a better word – 'personality' of these doubles meant they could disobey. Kakashi's still tingling hand was proof enough of that.

"How would we have known?" Iruka asked. "It's not like we can officially reveal we know this technique."

"I've done research. There's nothing. Nothing like this, anyway."

"Do you think," Iruka trailed off, absently rubbing the scar over the bridge of his nose. "Do you think it's because we both learned it from Naruto? He's not the best student, and he only had the scroll for a few hours. Is it possible –"

"That he messed something up? Oh, yeah," Kakashi said. "Have you ever interacted with Naruto's clones?"

"Yes. They just acted like Naruto, but then –"

"Naruto always acts like Naruto," Kakashi finished.

Iruka grinned. "In some ways, he really is a terrible ninja."

Yes, in exactly the same number of ways he was an exceptional one. Kakashi got up and began clearing away the dishes. Meanwhile, Iruka wandered into the passageway that led to the living room, where the two clones had settled back on the couch. Kakashi's double looked up when he entered. If it had possessed a tail, it would have been wagging.

Iruka laughed. "What are we going to do about this? About Ichi and what's-its-name..."

"Kakashi," said Kakashi firmly, coming up behind him.

"I'm not calling you both Kakashi. It's disorienting. How about Gin?"

Kakashi – the original Kakashi – looked affronted, but the clone just have a huffy laugh. "No," said Kakashi. "It's a clone, not a puppy."

Iruka didn't have to voice his skepticism. The comparison was blatant enough even without saying it. "Did you ever consider the possibility that you're part Inuzuka?"

Kakashi sniffed. "The comparison has been made; however, the Inuzuka themselves flatly reject the idea." Iruka hummed, and Kakashi temporized, "A distant cousin, maybe. No one's explored it. Of course, it would muddy both bloodlines."

"Yet it's hard to deny yourself," Iruka suggested, looking toward their clones, whose shoulders were shoved together. It was a declaration of trust, one so blatant that Kakashi was surprised at himself. Yet if his experiment had proven anything, it was that underneath his shields of aloofness and professionalism, he still possessed the capability to show a different side. He could still foster faith and friendship, things he had once thought lost, buried with dead comrades or taken up in the flames of their pyres.

Iruka was looking similarly thoughtful. Finally, he gazed at Kakashi and offered a genuine smile, faint lines threading his eyes, which were full of calm, steady waves. He concluded, "I'm comfortable with you."

Kakashi almost – almost – rolled his eyes. "That's your big realization from all this?"

"You were expecting a declaration of love?" Iruka asked. "Seriously, I don't have many friends, certainly not like this. It matters."

Kakashi went over the couch and gave his clone a shove with his foot. "Budge over. It's been a long day."

Iruka joined them, sighing as he sank down onto the uncomfortable springs. Outside, the stars were hanging low, partially obscured by cloud. It was dark blue, but inside the light from the paper lamps was warm. There was a long, somnolent moment, but it was broken when Iruka suddenly asked, "Kakashi? They're clones. Why didn't we just dismiss them?"

Ichi and Gin snickered. Maa. It was really annoying to be laughed at by shadows. But that was why it hadn't even occurred to them, wasn't it? These two were far too human to think of as mere bodies. Still, it was embarrassing that they had missed something so obvious.

Kakashi's head fell back. "Let's never talk about this, okay?"

Iruka breathed out, eyes falling closed. "Okay." He sank deeper into the couch cushions until their shoulders were touching. And Iruka was right. It _was_ comfortable. Kakashi settled his hands over his stomach and was almost a sleep when a stray thought caused him to crack open an eye.

"Sensei?"

"What?"

"Are we having a sleep over?"

More giggling from those stupid clones.

Iruka said, "Shut up, Kakashi."

* * *

Author's Note: The entire inspiration for this story was my desire to mess around with one of Kakashi's _Tajuu Kage Bunshin_ clones. I wanted it to be _incredibly_ bored but perk up around Iruka and have zero sense of personal space and say, "Yo." Oh, and in case it has escaped notice, _ichi_ the Japanese word for the number one, while _gin_ means silver. It is also a common dog name. ;) Thank you so much for your support during the writing of this story.


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